Thiel Owners
big_greg very nice system you have. Congratulations! If you do indeed prefer a more laid back presentation then Thiel's might not be the optimal choice. Especially if you have room challenges. I have found that Thiel's like space around them and really open up with 9 to 11 feet between them due to a very wide dispersion pattern. |
Thanks @pops. I'm pretty sure I'll stick with what I have. |
unsound - the Sonic Frontier (model unknown) preamp driving the Krell FPB 600 is what I heard when auditioning the final prototype of the 2.7 compared with the reference 3.7 in Thiel's listening room on my 2012 visit to Lexington. I have personally never heard better, although I must admit I've never heard any ultra high priced offerings. Jim required amplification that he liked and that tested impeccably well. Those were his choices. |
Vintage50 - I have a set of CS3 spikes in hand and believe them to be the same size as the CS3.5. There are two sets, one pointed (for carpet) and the other rounded (for hard floor.) Both are 1/4" diameter. Pointed are 2" long and rounded are 1.25" long. They slide into holes with plastic entry collars in the plinths, two at the rear and one at front center. My recollection is that we added some texture to the 3.5. Instead of being plain, they have a tiny O-ring in the center and some parallel grooves off center to keep them in the sockets, and to provide more purchase to remove them. Sorry I don't have 3.5s on hand until they someday emerge from storage. |
There are a few posts with 2.3, 2.4 and Rob being mentioned. I had the coincident drivers in my 2.3i rebuilt by Rob twice - 2006 and 2017. In 2006 they did came back great. However something remarkable happened in the 2017 rebuild - they came back sounding so much better that I was stunned. Everything we love about Thiels became turbocharged and in addition there was now a body and richness to the sound that makes vocals and violin scarily realistic. I encourage 2.3/2.4 owners who might be thinking about an easy upgrade to give him a call. |
asiaaudiosoc I have both 2.3 and 2.4 for some time now. I’ve had my 2.3 coaxes replaced once (while real Thiel was still in business and they had production coaxes stocked), and 2.4 coaxes replaced several times. The most-recent replacements were soon after Rob was up and running. The sound improvement was substantial. Rob explained this as his rebuilding them by hand as a matched pair with more attention to detail than what they could achieve in a semi-mass production flow; the big improvements in adhesives since then; and some of his ’secret sauce’ in minor build improvements to the driver that improve its performance without altering its specifications. (surrounds? mid/tweet decoupler? tweeter dome? spider design? voice coil wire?) So yes, I can confirm your observations. Now I want to see if the same magic can be applied to the sonically ’challenged’ 2.3 drivers! |
Maybe something here for those dodging the cold the snowflakes and the latest covid variant... a way to pass the time with a deeper look into this hobby. Found this while searching for an illustration of multiple velocity stacks that could be applied to a new speaker design. Tom Dan Russell's Acoustics and Vibration Animations (psu.edu) |
Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on a Thiel purchase and hope you all can help me out. I auditioned a local pair of CS6 yesterday and really enjoyed them- very natural sounding, room filling, detailed. They had a ML23.5 in front of them. I noticed on songs with sparse instrumentals, when bass was going I could hear some buzz coming from what I believe was the midrange on one speaker. I'm attaching a link to a sample here. I really liked the speakers and don't see them often near me, should I still get them, or steer clear? What would a fair price be? Would you recommend getting the 23.5 as well? A friend told me about Rob, so I sent him an email last night to get his take. Appreciate your thoughts on these, thanks very much!! https://imgur.com/DFZFIEV |
Vintage50 - I will second the info Tom Thiel gave you. I have two sets of pointed spikes, one set from the 3.5 and another from a 2 2. Both these spiked sets are 2" long and 1/4" in diameter. So apparently Thiel was using "standard" spikes for several of their earlier models. Incidentally, one set is the "naked" straight spike, the other has the "collar" and grooves Tom mentioned .... both are exactly the same 2" x 1/4". |
Offering a third to Harry's second: All the early spikes are the same. Thiel "invented" spikes in the late 70s for the 03. If others were using spikes at that time, we didn't know about it. Remember, no internet. They were all the same 1/4" x 2" with free 1-1/4" available by request for hard floors. I don't remember when we added the friction O-ring and grip grooves, but then they all became that way. The exception was the 1989 CS5 (? and probably up-market models after 1995?) The CS5 was too top-heavy (and therefore potentially dangerous) for three-point support. We replaced the recessed plinth with a full-footpring base with 4 threaded pins on the corners. That pin is ø 5/16"x18 tpi with 4 wrench flats for adjustment with the included 1/4" wrench. Zero clearance, tight tolerance fit keeps the cabinet from squirming. The holes in the hardwood base are also threaded to supply resistance and obviate the need for a lock-nut. Fun with minimalist elegance both for these threaded pins as well as the normal slip pins where 3 points defines the plane and requires no adjustment. |
The Audiopoint was introduced in 1989. Around that time we made available the smooth barrell pressure fit brass point for select Thiel models. I checked today there are zero available. Reference in time at my first home in '79 I used hardened steel points sold thru Linn dealers. I used these on Time Aligned speaker prototypes developed by Ed Long. I remember Harry coming over for a listen.Soon after came the aluminum TipToes from the Mod Squad. Tom |
coop_301
Welcome! good to see you here today. We do have a few CS6 fans and owners on the Panel. Stay tuned until one of those guys chimes in to address your query. Mr. Rob Gillum at CSS will be a great resource and can provide additional guidance on your purchase decision. I look forward in reading more about your musical tastes and system plan. The ML 23.5 is a stone classic power amp. At it age, it could probably benefit from a tune up. A great ML resource is Pyramid Audio in Austin Tx. If on the west coast, George Meyer AV in Los Angeles is another great Audio resource.
Happy Listening! |
Hi All, Since this is my favorite and just all-around best forum I’m a member of, I’m going to ask an ‘off-topic’ question…. I’m in Burbank CA. I want to learn about electricity and amplifier construction and repair. Can someone suggest a professional or organization that would teach me these things? You can direct message me or reply here if you have any suggestions. Thanks!
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coop_301I have a used pair of C6’s. Both my midranges buzz occasionally. Sometimes due to under amplification and sometimes just at certain passages rarely in certain songs. I’m certain I need new drivers. My pair cost $2,500 in 2019. Still, these buzzings are rare. These are the most natural, honest, powerful and nuanced speakers I’ve had in my system. |
jafant , brettmcee Thanks very much for the feedback! I've only recently gotten more serious about hifi so have picked up a few rigs over the past few months, and I would consider the CS6 to be better than most speakers I've heard recently. I'm hopeful that Rob can offer some good advice this week and help guide my decision, because I don't imagine there will be too many CS6s local to me. The seller's requesting 2500 which seems reasonable, but not if the repair will be another 500. I potentially have some 3.6 to audition this weekend as well, but I'm still more excited about the 6 to be honest. Regarding the amp, I'm on the east coast. I'd be curious to hear people's take on pairing modern amps compared to the 23.5. In this case, it hasn't had any work done to it but looks in good shape at least. I see amps pop up on CL that look good on paper and cost less, how do you know when you've found a solid pairing for your speakers? I like how classic the amp is and the speakers sounded great with it, but he wants 2500 for that also, and it sounds like a tuneup would be quite pricey. Thanks again for the perspectives, glad to have found the thread! |
coop_301
do you recall the rest of the seller's system? Specifically, any pre-amp? Cables? Is the source feeding directly into the ML power amp? Regarding those classic amps, a tune up will do wonders for performance. Much information can be found and read across other Audio forums. Trust your ears.
Happy Listening! |
